NetShadeVPN and Proxy for Mac and iOS.

Your Internet, everywhere.

With NetShade, you connect to the Internet through the server of your choice. Access content overseas, and protect your privacy online. NetShade runs 13 servers in 7 different countries.

Now with IPv6.

IPv6 is the Internet of the future. NetShade 7 gives you access to IPv6 right now, even if your Internet provider doesn't support it yet. NetShade 7 is all you need to access to the entire IPv6 Internet. Open up new routing possibilities, and unblock previously inaccessible content. Learn more about IPv6

A higher class of proxy & VPN service.

If you’ve had bad luck with slow, unreliable, fly-by-night VPN providers in the past, we’re glad you found us. NetShade has been in operation for 15 years, and over that time we’ve build a reputation of trust and reliability with our customers. We take pride in the quality of our app, and the integrity and reliability of our services.

Mac+iOS native

We focus exclusively on the Mac and iOS platforms to deliver the best user experience.

Won’t jack your Mac

NetShade is cleanly coded and lightweight.

Worldwide

Servers in 7 countries and counting.

Two services in one

Use VPN when you need encryption, and the faster Proxy service when you don't.

Always unlimited data

Bandwidth caps are frustrating. We don't have them.

Proven infrastructure

We've been running proxy servers for 15 years.

NetShade FAQ

General

What is the difference between Proxy and VPN?

• VPNs encrypt, proxies do not.
• VPNs and proxies both route your Internet connection through a different server.
• VPNs handle all internet traffic, proxies handle only web traffic.
• VPNs are more secure, but also more costly with more overhead. They are useful when
security is essential, but not always necessary.

NetShade VPN

NetShade proxies

Public proxies

Allows access to content hosted abroad

Works in web browsers

Hosted by a trusted commercial provider

Anonymizes traffic to destination sites

1

Anonymizes traffic through your ISP

2

1, 2

Works in all Internet apps

Provides encryption

1: The public proxies provide varying levels of anonymity, and may or may not be run by a trustworthy operator.

2: Although it is possible for your ISP to determine which URLs you access via a proxy server, this would require decoding of the HTTP request headers by the ISP. In practice, this level of logging is not common.

Use VPN when security is a primary concern, i.e. if you are on a
public Wi-Fi hotspot, or accessing sensitive information. VPN is a fully
encrypted protocol which handles traffic on all ports, and as such it is slower
than proxy.

Use Proxy when encryption is not important, but you need to access web
content anonymously. Proxies are also useful for accessing content available
only in other regions of the world.

What is IPv6?

Since the beginning, the Internet has been powered by IPv4. Unfortunately
the IPv4 address space was not large enough to accomodate all the devices that
are now connected to the Internet, so the world needed a new address format.
Thus, IPv6 was introduced, with an address space so massive that we should
never run out of addresses.

An IPv4 address: 127.56.7.90 An IPv6 address: 2001:270:4a::1000:a1

Internet providers around the world are slowly adding support for IPv6, but
the majority of the world's Internet connections are still IPv4-only.

NetShade 7 offers IPv6 addressing through certain NetShade servers. This
means that when you connect to an IPv6-enabled Proxy or VPN server, you'll
be on the IPv6 Internet, able to access any IPv6 website, even if your ISP
doesn't support IPv6 yet. In this way, NetShade becomes your ISP for IPv6.

Some of the larger and higher-profile websites are already on IPv6. Using
IPv6 instead of IPv4 may allow access to these websites from locations in which
they were previously blocked.

What protocols does NetShade support?

The NetShade VPN servers work over all TCP ports and protocols.
Public proxy servers support HTTP. The NetShade Proxy servers support
HTTP and HTTPS.

What is the return policy?

Any purchase made through our website may be returned within 30 days
for a full refund. Please contact us via the support form
to request a refund.
Purchases made through Apple's App Store must be refunded through Apple.

What is the difference between Public Proxy and NetShade Proxy?

The Public Proxy option will select a public HTTP proxy server from NetShade's list.
These servers are freely available for everyone's use, and they can become heavily
accessed. For this reason, their reliability cannot be assured.

The NetShade Proxy
option connects you through one of NetShade's own anonymous proxy servers. These servers
are fully anonymous, and because they are private and accessible only to
NetShade users they receive much less traffic than public proxy servers generally do.
The NetShade proxy is available only to registered users of the program with an active
subscription to the NetShade Proxy service (the first year is included with an initial
purchase of NetShade.)

Why do some of the public proxies not work?

NetShade makes every effort to provide a reliable list of public proxy servers, but
these servers become so heavily accessed that they frequently go down or become
unusably slow throughout the day. NetShade's server contacts all the proxies in
its list every night, and measures their response time. This data is sent to the NetShade
client program so that your list is always current. Unfortunately reliable public proxies
are becoming increasingly rare. The NetShade proxies are generally your best
option, as they are dedicated Mac-only proxy servers which handle comparatively small
amounts of traffic.

Subscription & Registration

What does NetShade cost?

A NetShade license with one year of proxy access costs $29. A NetShade
license with one year of Proxy+VPN access costs $59. Subscriptions to either service
can be renewed for $19/year and $49/year, respectively. Usage is always
unlimited, within the limits of normal individual use.

Subscriptions of less than one year are available as well, for an increased
daily rate.

How can I enter a different registration code?

For Mac:

For iOS:

NetShade will not accept my registration code.

Make sure your code is for the version of NetShade you’re trying to run.
Codes beginning with NS4 are for NetShade 4.x for Mac or NetShade 1.x for iOS.
Codes beginning with NS5 are for NetShade 5.x for Mac or NetShade 2.x for iOS.
NetShade 4 codes can be upgraded at the
Account Info page.

Can I use the same registration code on multiple systems?

Yes, one code is good for Macs within the same household, up to 5 systems. An iOS enabled code may also be used on up to five iOS devices, provided the devices have the same owner.

Does the purchase of NetShade include a subscription to the NetShade Proxy servers?

The purchase of NetShade includes a one year subscription to the NetShade Proxy servers.
The NetShade application will continue to function without a proxy subscription, and can
be used to access the public proxies and user proxies.
This subscription can be renewed at $19 for each additional year.

Alert: It appears that newer versions of Firefox (13 and higher) have a bug which causes the browser to ignore proxy settings. It happens on some systems and not on others.

Unless you have a specific reason for using Firefox, a different browser (Safari or Chrome) is generally preferable on a Mac.

Will NetShade work everywhere?

NetShade's servers can be blocked just like any other servers. Therefore, certain
countries with filtered Internet block NetShade's services. Presently we're aware of blocking
in parts of China, Iran, Bahrain, the UAE, Pakistan, Oman and other countries. The best
choice is to download the free trial and see if the app will work in your location.

Why is my code for NetShade not working?

If you were once able to use your code and it has stopped, your code may have
expried. You can check the status of your code via this link: Account Status

If you haven't received your code, please visit the code recovery page below: Lost Serial Number

I've upgraded to iOS 6, and now NetShade isn't working.

If you were running iOS 5 with NetShade and you've done the upgrade to iOS 6, it may have broken your PAC file configuration. There seems to be a bug in the iOS update process which renders PAC files impossible to activate within a Wi-Fi config.

NetShade routes your web connection through a web proxy server. It achieves this by
altering your system's network settings. Browsers which adhere to Apple's system
configuration protocol will pick up on these changes, and automatically send your
connection through a proxy as opposed to connecting to the target site directly.

B. Every time you launch NetShade, it connects to the NetShade server to obtain an up-to-date list of public proxy servers. The proxies on this list are then tested by your computer to ensure connectivity.

C. Direct: By clicking the “Direct” button in NetShade, your web connections are routed directly to the Internet with no proxy protection.

D. Public Proxy: By clicking the “Public Proxy” button in NetShade, your connections are routed through one of the public proxy servers in NetShade’s list. These proxies are not run by NetShade, and their reliability cannot be guaranteed. They do, however, do a good job of performing NetShade's primary function, which is to hide your IP address from the sites you visit.

E. NetShade Proxy: By clicking the “NetShade Proxy” button (available only to registered users,) your connections are routed through one of NetShade’s private proxy servers. At present, you can switch between a US-based proxy and one located in the UK. These are high-bandwidth fully anonymous proxy servers, maintained by NetShade. They support HTTP and HTTPS. Public proxies on the other hand are HTTP only. HTTPS through a public proxy would be generally inadvisable anyway, as the admins of these servers may have varying practices as to the use of their logs and the security of their systems.

What do the anonymity ratings mean?

The Public Proxies in NetShade's list are categorized with one, two, or three bars to
represent good, better, or best anonymity.One bar: The proxy server sends your computer's IP address to the
target host in a special HTTP variable. This means that the host is able to
find out your IP address, but will have to take special measures to do so. The
host will need to know what field to look at for your IP address, and specially
log it. Most hosts do not go to this trouble.Two bars: The proxy server does not send your IP address to
the target host. It does identify itself as a proxy server. Although the target
host cannot determine your IP address, it can tell that you are using a proxy server.Three bars: The proxy server does not send your IP address
to the target host, nor does it identify itself as a proxy. The target host is
unable to determine your IP address. It is also unable to determine that you are
using a proxy. All the NetShade proxy servers are this type.

Yes, when using VPN servers all traffic is routed through NetShade. When using proxy servers however, only web protocols (HTTP and HTTPS) are proxied.

How can I turn off NetShade completely?

Every time you quit NetShade it sets your system back to a direct, un-proxied
Internet connection. However, if NetShade crashes, is force-quit, or if your computer
loses power while NetShade is running, it can leave your system behind a proxy server.
To correct this, simply launch NetShade, select either a Public Proxy or NetShade Proxy,
and then click Direct Connection. Your connection should now be un-proxied.

What platforms are supported?

MacOS X and iOS.

Corporate

Who runs NetShade?

NetShade is run by Rayner Software, LLC incorporated in California, USA.

Rayner Software is a completely independent and unaffiliated company, started and
developed without any outside investment. The company was founded in 2002 by Ty Rayner,
and is devoted to the principles of privacy protection and of long-term reputability
above short-term profits. We will never attempt to monetize user information nor
data-mine it for any marketing-driven end.

What information does NetShade record about me?

NetShade retains activity logs for a limited amount of time. This is never more than
30 days, and usually less than 10 days. The duration is limited by a file size
boundary, so the faster the logs fill up the sooner they are purged from the
server's hard drive.

Under no circumstances will NetShade sell or trade user activity information with
any third party. NetShade will not use users' proxy acitivities for any form of marketing
via e-mail or otherwise. NetShade will only use the information recorded in activity
logs for compliance with investigations pertaining to credible reports of illegal
activity being conducted via NetShade's proxy service.

NetShade isn't in the business of data-mining, and frankly we find the whole practice
of snooping to be distasteful. Other proxy servers tend to be far less clear about how they
track and log your activities. With NetShade, we leave no question about it. The NetShade proxy
servers are fast, almost always online, and completely anonymous.

We believe strongly in protecting the privacy of our users. We also comply with the law, and
will comply with a genuine, signed subpoena from a court if we receive one.

In summary, we absolutely seek to protect the privacy of our users. However we also have no
intention of facilitating or concealing any criminal activity. We believe in the law, and we
believe in adhererence to the process of law by all, including law enforcement.

Account Info

Searching…

Results

Please enter one of the following:

Your registration code

or

Your e-mail address

Please enter your registration code:

Support

Is NetShade not accepting your registration code?
Make sure your code is for the version of NetShade you’re trying to run. Codes beginning with NS4 are for NetShade 4.x for Mac or NetShade 1.x for iOS. Codes beginning with NS5 are for NetShade 5.x for Mac or NetShade 2.x for iOS. NetShade 4 codes can be upgraded at Account Info.

Thank you, your message has been sent. We try to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.

Your message could not be sent.

Technical Information

The NetShade VPN service is available for both Mac and iOS. The iOS version uses an IPsec-based VPN, and the Mac version uses an OpenVPN-based VPN. Both of these VPN technologies are considered secure, and are widely deployed by large corporations and government for secure communications.

The NetShade Proxy Service
Our NetShade proxy servers are all dedicated servers. They sit inside datacenters on high-capacity Internet connections. We run a combination of custom and open source software to run our proxy service. The proxy software itself is Apache Traffic Server, but we've heavily extended it by adding our own plugins and add-ons to make the user's experience as seamless as possible.

The NetShade VPN Service
An optional upgrade from HTTP/HTTPS Proxy service, the NetShade VPN service provides extra security by encrypting your Internet communications. Unlike a proxy, the VPN operates at the network transport level. This ensures that all communication between you and the VPN server is encrypted, over any port and from any app.

NetShade's connection modes explained:

Proxy: HTTP Proxy Server. A proxy server acts as a relay for your web connections. Proxy servers have no effect on encryption and they only deal with web traffic. As with a regular web connection, data is only encrypted if it goes over HTTPS.

VPN: Virtual Private Network. A secure encrypted tunnel between you and a remote computer or network. In the case of NetShade, the tunnel goes between you and one of our servers. Our server then provides you with a securely encrypted link to the Internet.

Proxy+VPN: A dual-mode setup enables additional anonymity by adding an HTTP proxy to the VPN tunnel. The VPN layer is closer to your computer, where the proxy layer sits between the VPN servers and the Internet. This connection mode can be thought of as a “bounce” from VPN to Proxy to host.

Direct

Proxy

VPN

Proxy + VPN

What the NetShade app does

Mac: The NetShade app is first and foremost a configuration engine. It does not get its hands into the network plumbing of your computer. It is just configuring your system to use certain settings, and the Mac software does the hard work. Additionally, NetShade talks with our servers to coordinate access between your network and our servers. The app is what enables us to run a secure system without asking for a login and password.

iOS: As with the Mac version, the NetShade app talks to our servers to grant users access. But it does not make any configuration changes to your system, because these types of actions aren't permitted by the iOS APIs. For this reason, the iOS version requires an additional PAC file configuration step, outlined in the app.